


Refusing The Abyss

by Abloodydistraction



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: At least until I want to write more, Eventual Relationships, Exactly What It Says on the Tin, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 03:12:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3365597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abloodydistraction/pseuds/Abloodydistraction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly."<br/>What if we were actually given a choice? Spoilers for Inquisition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Refusing The Abyss

Hawke smiled a big toothy grin, ,  
“You have an army to gather Inquisitor, and you have the wardens to lead, Stroud. I am making this decision for the both of you.”  
She turned away and removed her staff from her back, fear pulsating throughout her veins, though she was as a mountain. Her knuckles white with anxiety and the despair that began to wash over her, she clenched her fist over the staff’s worn and polished black wood, the same one that a dear friend once held. Her eyes twitched and welled up in anguish, her smile cracking, as if the wood in a blazing fire held too much anguish. The fragile glass of it all being licked by white hot flames. Casting a barrier over herself she looked back over her shoulder,  
“Tell Varric that I am sorry.” and with that she sprinted off towards the creature of the fade, her own flames blazing high and hot. The warden did not move for a time, and neither did the elf.  
The champion called upon the magic of the fade and forced herself towards the nightmare. Horror washed over them, but then Stroud flew to The Champion’s side.  
“Did you think I would let you hog all the glory, Champion?” The fade creature made an attempt to impale Hawke with it’s huge tendrils, but Stroud was agile, fueled with the adrenaline in part to his fury, he slashed it in half with one swing of his perfectly sharpened blade. Hawke grinned, comforted, though not completely at ease.  
“Maker forbid I would do anything of the sort!” Hawke, swift on her feet, weaved herself through the monster’s legs. “Cover me!” The Champion was in rare form, and as the young Inquisitor watched her, eyes a glow, she became mesmerized by the champion’s dance. White lightning pierced the beast while thunder roared through the thin stillness of the fade. Stroud, brash and bold as he was, kept it’s attention while Hawke danced behind it, casting spells that the elf had never even seen before, moving with such grace and splendor, she wondered no longer how she managed to defeat a qunari war lord in one on one combat.  
“A little help here!” Stroud dodged another lethal attack from the giant nightmare, the small elf rushed to his side just as another appendage of the creature began to strike his shield, pushing her bangs out of her eyes the junior of the group cast a barrier from herself on to Stroud, he pushed the young elf behind him. Hawke roared as a massive hand reached out of the half-formed green sky and slammed the spider down, causing a large crack to form in the stone beneath Stroud and the Inquisitor's feet.  
The ground shook, and as smoke and dust filled the air the young elf looked over Stroud’s shoulder to see the eyes of a dragon. Stroud slammed his blade into one of the giant spider like creature’s eye, causing a high pitched screech to echo throughout the fade. Another roar was let out, more anguished than before, and two giant metal claws manifested above the creature, taking a half into each menacing hand the spider cried out until a sickening crack was heard as the monster’s tendrils exploded into a thick rain of green blood, and pooled around the inquisitor’s feet as it rained down.  
The elf’s forest green eyes stayed trained on the dragon’s glowing golden orbs, somewhat horrified the inquisitor found herself inching more towards Stroud and as she watched. The dust settled and she realized that of all of Varric’s bullshit and lies, the story of Hawke never becoming a dragon was the one proven most hollow, for there, as if in a dream, was a dragon of fierce proportions, eyes blazing as great as any fire. She stood over the beast as it fell into a heap, somewhat smug, but still weary, and clutching her staff a little closer than before, shaking. Stroud wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his gloved hand. His eyes glazed over from exhaustion and, no doubt, sleep deprivation. The inquisitor stood, at a loss for words, the grey Warden was exhausted, and it showed through, but the Champion stood tall amongst her own flames and the blood of a creature. Though her eyes were dangerous and worn, tired even, they had a certain warmth that the young Inquisitor could not place.  
“Y...You both defeated that creature with such ease.” Hawke scoffed, her arm now dripping in the dark red flowing under her armor.  
“Ease? If only it were always that simple! Didn't I tell you to get the hell out of here?” Stroud caught his breath and grasped at the Inquisitor’s wrist,  
“The portal, it will close soon, and then all will be indeed lost.” Hawke’s eyes once again lit up, in anguish and desperation this time, instead of pride and sophisticated grace.  
“Why is it that there is never just enough time for everything?” Stroud pulled the Inquisitor along, his legs swiftly carrying them both to the edge of the portal. Hawke followed behind, the light in her eyes dimming, the flame fading quickly and quietly. 

Stroud fell through then, not adjusted again to the weight of the world. The Inquisitor carried Hawke through, the rift to the fade closing behind her. Many wardens stood in a crowd and watched as Stroud struggled to his feet, some offering him a hand and a group gathered as if they had expected their mentor to not return. Varric pushed his way towards the inquisitor as the young elf began to lose her grip on the dark haired champion as she faltered and fell into Varric’s waiting arms.  
“Hawke you lying bastard, you said you wouldn't die on me yet.” Hawke chuckled lightly, her eyes half open and her voice as soft as a feather.  
“I’m just tired... Varric, Get Anders over here... would you?” Varric’s eyes shot to Lavellan.  
“Get Solas, now.” His voice was stern yet shaken, she nodded and went to the other older elf. Varric held Hawke tightly in his lap with one arm as he pried the crushed metal of her armor away from her wound with the other.  
“Oh shit Hawke.” Her arm was ravaged and blood had pooled inside of the fur lined metal and dragon bone that now dug into her pale flesh.  
“Stay with me Hawke. I’ll get you help.” Varric held her, now unconscious, closer to his chest. He listened to her breath for a time, as the wardens and Stroud surrounding them talked.  
Stroud’s eyes wandered over to the champion as the dwarf held her tightly, worry and grief filling up his face. He sighed in relief as the two elves working their magic to heal Hawke.  
“She won’t die Varric.” Blackwall clasped his hand over the dwarf’s shoulder. He noticed that Varric was shaking slightly, but said nothing, and looked on as the elves eyes glowed in the darkness and the blood of the champion pooled underneath her.


End file.
